“Tricky Tactics”

First of all, the most important tactic is to keep practicing writing short, 40 minute essays throughout the school year. Consistency in practicing writing 40 minute essays is the key to success since the AP english exam is not something you can study for in less than a week, so constant practice and careful preparation is vital. For some individuals, the multiple choice section of the AP english could be relatively easy or extremely frustrating. One common mistake on the multiple choice is to start off by reading the passage, since it will just waste valuable time. Reading and skimming over the questions would be the most logical thing to do since the reading the questions first not only helps you be more aware of what’s to come, but also lucidly tells you what the passage will be about even without reading it. One should be especially mindful of the overarching theme, which will definitely be on every passage in some form or another. Finally, you need to be aware of the time, since this test not only tests your ability to answer questions, it also stealthily tests your ability to manage time efficiently. Lastly, if you absolutely have no factual examples to support your thesis, it is absolutely fine if you make things up; however, it has to solidify your thesis as a whole rather than just making random examples. (Like the one in the comic strip below).